Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Mongolia at the end of a 10-day tour of Asia, where he emphasized the United States' support for its allies and partners in the region, AFP reported.
The long tour, which took him to Laos, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore, was aimed at countering China's influence, although Washington insists it is not pursuing a policy of containing Beijing.
In a meeting in the Lao capital of Vientiane late last week, Blinken raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a "frank and productive" exchange, according to Washington.
In Tokyo and Manila, Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced closer military and defense ties with the countries in the face of what they described as Beijing's "provocations", particularly in the South China Sea.
"But what's so important about each of these alliances is that each of them is defensive in nature," Blinken said.
"There is no projecting on someone else, on someone else's territory," he added.
Mongolia is a vast, sparsely populated democratic country of 3.4 million people located between China and Russia.
The United States has stressed that it intends to develop closer ties there, including "people-to-people" exchanges, and maintain a "comprehensive strategic dialogue" with Mongolia.
Last week, Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunh Batceseg was in Washington to meet with Blinken and kick off the strategic dialogue.
In the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, the top US diplomat will also hold talks with Prime Minister Luvsanamsrein Oyun-Erdene, whose ruling party reduced its majority in June parliamentary elections, and President Ukhnaaglin Hurelsukh.
Washington hopes to increase its influence in Mongolia, which has historical ties to Russia as well as important trade relations with China.
Senior US State Department official Daniel Krittenbrink said the two countries enjoyed a "growing relationship".
"We look forward to renewing and strengthening our ties with this democratic neighbor," he told a briefing last week.
Before traveling to Washington, Blinken is scheduled to attend the Naadam Festival, a celebration of Mongolia's nomadic traditions that features athletes, often dressed in traditional clothing, participating in wrestling, archery and horse racing. | BGNES
